2- Influences on Business Flashcards
What does ICT stand for?
Information and Communications Technology
Give three advantages of a business using ICT
& examples
- Faster communication between people
- More efficient as computers do jobs more quickly
- Reduced costs in the long term as fewer man hours needed to carry out tasks
Give two disadvantages of a business using ICT
& examples
- Can be very expensive to buy equipment
- May have to hire expert staff
What is E-commerce?
E-commerce is using the internet to buy or sell products
What is the main advantage of E-commerce?
The main advantage of E-commerce is that the business can reach wider markets (compared to traditional shops)
Give one disadvantage of E-commerce
Businesses face new competition from online businesses, making it harder to get noticed
What effect has digital communication had on businesses?
Digital communication has increased communication between collegues
List all the examples of how businesses have changed the way they communicate with their stakeholders
- Social Media
- Websites
- Mobile Apps
- Video Calls
How do businesses use social media to communicate with stakeholders?
Businesses use social media to to advertise and promote their products to customers as well as to provide customer service
How do businesses use websites to communicate with stakeholders?
Websites allow customers to interact with a business (e.g. live chat) and learn about their products (e.g. FAQs, blog)
How do businesses use mobile apps to communicate with stakeholders?
Mobile apps are used for businesses to communicate with their customers about where the business’ stores are located, information about the business’ products, and sometimes used to sell their products
How do businesses use emails to communicate with stakeholders?
Emails allow businesses to communicate with customers on a personal level, or on a bigger scale (such as sending an email to all employees)
How do businesses use video calls to communicate with stakeholders?
Video calls can be used to communicate with employees and other stakeholders (like shareholders) to have important conversations whilst in different countries
What does it mean for a business to be acting ethically?
A business acting ethically acts in ways that stakeholders consider to be both fair and honest
Give 4 examples of ethical considerations for a business
- Not exploiting workers
- Not testing their developing products on animals
- Paying them a fair wage
- Buying Fairtrade products
What are the benefits of ethical behaviour?
- Firms can change their marketing to emphasise on their ethical policies. This develops a positive public image and increases sales
- Treating staff ethically is more likely to increase staff motivation
- Shareholders are more likely to invest in an ethical business as it gives them a moral purpose
What are the drawbacks of ethical behaviour?
- It can be costly for the firm (e.g. to pay all workers fairly - higher labour costs)
- It can be difficult to find suppliers with ethically sourced materials
- These higher prices may lead to lower sales